Integrating Landscape Gene Mapping and Environmental Adaptation for Sustainable Rural Settlements in Rwanda's Western Highlands

ABSTRACT This study introduces a novel landscape gene mapping framework, addressing a critical gap in rural development research by integrating spatial analysis with indigenous ecological knowledge. It conceptualizes rural settlements in mountainous regions as repositories of inherited environmental, cultural, and spatial traits essential for adaptive design. A five‐phase methodology (Gene Identification, Interpretation, Expression, Extraction, and Synthesis) combined field surveys, participatory ethnography, and geospatial analytics (GIS, remote sensing, spatial statistics) to analyze settlement patterns in Rwanda's Western Highlands. Results reveal statistically significant preferences for moderate elevations (1400–1900 m), gentle slopes (< 15°), and proximities to roads (500–1000 m) and rivers (200–600 m). Cultural practices such as kinship clustering function as key social genes , enhancing resilience and stewardship. Based on these insights, a gene‐based rural settlement design model is proposed, offering actionable, context‐specific principles for adaptive, socially cohesive, and sustainable planning, contributing to climate change adaptation in mountainous regions worldwide.